Casualties of War
by Dan Ingram
Summary: Rahne's on the run from Hydra with her only ally X23! Chapter 5, X23 vs. Gauntlet to the bitter, bloody end.
1. Default Chapter

Notes  
  
Greetings all. This is my first fanfic attempt involving X-Men Evolution. I do regular fanfic (involving Rahne and Dani, among others) at Marvel 2000, and a few others that are archived here. Feel free to check them out.  
  
Also, as much as I love reviews, I may or may not have time to respond to all of them. Best way to grab my attention is email.  
  
The rating may or may not change as this series progresses. Not for sex drugs and rock and roll, but because two of the characters inside this fic run around with uber sharp indestructible claws. I'm not planning on gutting anyone, but we'll see.  
  
Also, for this fic I'm assuming that certain aspects of the comics made it into Evolution. That is, Rahne is an orphan nearly killed by Reverend Craig and was saved by Moira, sent to the school and then dragged out following the Sentinel attack. I also only know accents via Chris Claremont, so my Scots may not be perfect. Sue me  
  
Got all that? Good. And now, on with the story...!  
  
A secret location on the West Coast  
  
The green haired woman known to law enforcement the world over as Madame Hydra sat behind her desk (and what the people below her considered a throne) and her elbows rested atop the desk with her hands clasped together while she considered the man before her.  
  
Though she appeared a model of control, inwardly she was quacking. Her terrorist organization known as Hydra, had spent millions creating the perfect assassin using the template of the man called Wolverine. Wolverine, or Weapon X to some, possessed a powerful healing factor, enhanced senses and, though they had to be applied via surgery, possessed an indestructible skeleton. He was an unstoppable warrior. And, his superiors learned, untamable. No one could force Wolverine to do what he didn't want to. But that did nothing to negate the fact that Wolverine was the ideal soldier.  
  
So Hydra, who'd discovered the secret government project that'd created Wolverine, set about cloning the mutant in an effort to breed the perfect killing machine. It was an almost complete failure. Twenty-two clones created, twenty-two clones dead. It wasn't until they tried switching the gender on the clone that they first met success and were within arm's length of having their perfect killer. X-23 she'd been named. But like her genetic 'father', she eventually proved uncontrollable, fleeing from Hydra after confronting Wolverine.  
  
But in many ways, X-23 was even worse than her genetic father. She was now determined to destroy Hydra for their cruel experiments. The organization was large, but X-23 was very determined. In fact, X-23 had already destroyed several clone proxies of Madame Hydra. So it took some effort for Madame Hydra to corral her anger regarding anything related to X- 23 while her subordinate gave his proposal as to just how Hydra would recoup their losses at only a tenth of the cost.  
  
"What makes you so certain your plan will work, Dr. Markus?" Madame Hydra inquired.  
  
Dr. Markus, sitting before Madame Hydra, easily fit the stereotypical profile of a scientist. He wore square trimmed glasses, white lab coat and a shining baldhead. His love of liquor and women had destroyed his career and research opportunities. That, and his constant insistence on pushing medical ethics. Hydra solved all those problems for the doctor, who was eternally grateful to them in turn. "It's very simply, Madame Hydra. The Weapon X projects and our follow-ups of their research has relied overly much on complicated and time consuming technologies. You may not realize it, but clone banks require trained and skilled supervisors twenty-four hours a day."  
  
"And your plan does not?"  
  
Dr. Markus smirked, "All we need are some skilled obstetricians and geneticists. And we can offer the better results, in all areas, than earlier projects. It only requires more patience."  
  
Madame Hydra smiled, but there was no humor in it, "You had better hope so, Doctor. For your sake."  
  
Madame Hydra began flipping thru the file that the doctor had given her, "Tell me again, doctor. What is the subject's name?"  
  
"Rahne Sinclair."  
  
***  
  
"Rahne?"  
  
Moira MacTaggert held a dingy blue sweater out in front of her and examined it with a careful eye, "Rahne, Rahne luv what do ye think o' this?"  
  
Rahne Sinclair snapped back to reality from her daydream at the sound of her foster mother's voice. Moira had dragged Rahne away from her studies so that she could accompany her while Moira stocked up on supplies for Muir Island. While Rahne loved her mother dearly, shopping ranked up there with 'watching the grass grow' on her list of things she wanted to do.  
  
"It's lovely." Rahne replied honestly.  
  
Moira wrinkled her nose at the comment. That wasn't the answer she was hoping for. In fact, to almost anyone, the sweater was ugly and worn; unfit to be worn in public by anyone with any self respect. Moira loved her daughter, but recognized that, as growing up a ward of a hateful Reverend and forced to wear donations from the community, Rahne had terrible fashion sense. Moira hoped to develop Rahne's fashion sense some, but Rahne seemed to see anything that was bought to be a valuable gift, regardless of the quality of said gift. As Rahne had grown up with nothing, she seemed to appreciate everything, Moira observed.  
  
"I'll put it aside." Moira said. She placed it back down on the table and moved onto another display. The store was rather small, like everything in Ullapool. Rahne watched her adoptive mother sift thru pile of clothes with increasing discomfort and unease.  
  
Mustering up her courage, Rahne asked, "Mum, can I wait outside?"  
  
Moira instantly straightened when she heard Rahne's request, "Is that what ye want?" Moira asked, not attempting to hide her concern.  
  
"It's stuffy and smelly in here. It hurts muh nose." Rahne stated. One of the side effects of her mutation was that her nose, while not as strong as it was in her wolf form, was far stronger than the average human's. The combined scents of the old sweaters, pine floor and dust were beginning to get to the young mutant.  
  
"Alright luv. You can go outside, I'll finish up here in a moment."  
  
The fresh, clean air that greeted Rahne when she stepped out was sorely needed. It washed away the foul smelling scents that'd had taken hold of her nose inside. But almost instantly, her old discomfort was displaced by a new even worse uneasiness.  
  
"Demon child..."  
  
"...foul bastard..."  
  
"Damn that MacTaggert, weren't for her..."  
  
Also enhance was Rahne's hearing. As the townspeople of the small village walked past going about their business this Saturday afternoon, they all spared the young girl a glance and an impure thought.  
  
And thru it all, Rahne struggled to keep her chin up and just ignore the hateful mutterings. When her ability to transform into a red wolf first manifest, the Reverend who'd raised Rahne all her life took it as a sign the girl was possessed by the devil. He immediately began preparing an exorcism.  
  
At first, terrified as she was, Rahne welcomed the exorcism. She thought the Reverend, a stern and all knowing man in her eyes, was going to save her soul thru prayer, scripture and holy water. It was a belief she held steadfast to until the Reverend returned to perform his exorcism with a mob, bullets and fire. It was only then that Rahne finally had the courage to do what she'd always secretly wanted to do.  
  
Run away.  
  
A bullet struck her shoulder as a wolf, but Rahne never slowed down. She escaped thru the Church's backdoor and ran blindly. The blood loss from the bullet wound and her panicked flight made most of the memories of that night a nightmarish blur, but Rahne remembered perfectly the faces of the people in that mob. After all, it was almost the entire town who'd known Rahne her entire life. It was pure luck that Rahne had, quite literally, run into Moira. Moira faced down the mob with ease, and gave Rahne hope. Moira took Rahne in and sent her to a school where for the first time in her life, Rahne felt like she fit in.  
  
But even that didn't last forever. The school was attacked and Moira was on the first plane to America to collect Rahne. Rahne didn't relish returning to Ullapool, but as ever, didn't complain. Being back in the town that had nearly been the death of her was even harder, but Moira insisted. Rahne needed to face her demons, she had said. That she needed to recognize for herself that it was the town that was wrong, not her.  
  
But it was hard for a young girl who was constantly brow beaten by the Reverend who raised her. The hate and distrust was plain to see in the eyes of everyone. Rahne cast her eyes downward, to both hide from the glares of the town and hide her own tears.  
  
"Rahne! There ye are!"  
  
Rahne looked up to see Ian and Jacob, two local boys Rahne had always seen and talked to in passing before her powers manifested. She paid no mind to the question of why all of a sudden they were interested in her. Her heart jumped by leaps and bounds at the mere idea of friends.  
  
"We've missed ye so much!" Jacob exclaimed.  
  
"Where've you been hiding that pretty head of yours at?" Ian asked with a sly grin.  
  
Rahne blushed at the compliment, and barely noticed that the two boys were leading her away from the front door of the store.  
  
"I've been in America." Rahne answered as they strolled down the sidewalk.  
  
"Shame you came back, freak!" Ian shouted as he suddenly pushed Rahne into an alley. Rahne tumbled to the ground, her yellow dress kicking up dirt as she impacted. Rahne stared at the boys in shock, and noted how people who walked by were simply ignoring the situation.  
  
"Inhuman trash! They should have burned ye when they had the bloody chance!" Jacob sneered as he kicked dirt in Rahne's face.  
  
"Ye killed yer own mum when ye were born!" Ian then spat at Rahne. She was fast enough to block the glob of salvia with her arm before it impacted her face, but the humiliation was all the same.  
  
"We'll fix the mistake our parents made." Jacob hissed.  
  
Rahne began backing away in fear. Though her wolf form could easily defeat these two boys, she abhorred violence. She was more concerned about what she'd do to them than what they'd do to her.  
  
Jacob relished the look of fear on Rahne's face. She was a freak of nature that he was determined to stamp out. He was a little surprised, however, when Rahne's look of fear disappeared as the girl suddenly became unconcerned with Jacob and Ian and more concerned with her tarnished dress.  
  
Before Jacob could ponder this fact further, fingers with sharp nails grabbed both his and Ian's ears and slammed their bigoted heads together. The two boys, their heads ringing turned around to see a very cross Moira MacTaggert, her hands on her hips and her expression one of righteous anger. Both boys were instantly cowed.  
  
"Rahne, go wait in the car." Moira commanded. Rahne stood up, and sheepishly complied. Once Rahne was out of sight, Moira then turned to the two boys who threatened her daughter by the collar and slammed them up against the wall of the alley, "Ian, Jacob, if ye ever harm muh daughter again, I'll have yuir garters f'r breakfast!"  
  
Moira pushed the two boys up against the wall again, even harsher this time, "And if ye have tae work yuir fingers tae the bone, ye will buy Rahne a new dress to replace the one ye two jus' ruined!"  
  
The boys fearfully nodded and scampered away like whipped dogs. Moira watched them leave, and then spared a moment to glare at the people who'd ignored her daughter's plight before making her way to the car. She opened the driver's side door and got in with Rahne buckled in the front seat, her legs hunched close to her chest. Rahne had cleaned off most of the dirt, but her bright yellow dress was still spotted with brown and her face was stained with fresh tears as she faced forward, attempting not to look at her mother.  
  
"Rahne..." Moira began.  
  
"I thought they liked me..."Rahne looked at Moira, fresh tears flowing down her face, "queer notion, I ken. I should have known better."  
  
Moira placed a reassuring hand on Rahne's shoulder, and started the car. The ride to the docks, and then to Muir Island was painfully quite.  
  
***  
  
Dinner was equally uncomfortable. Rahne cleaned herself up physically, but was still as dejected. Rahne just picked at her food, much to Moira's concern.  
  
"Rahne, aren't you hungry?" Moira asked as Rahne nibbled on some potatoes in favor of the steak on her plate. Normally, Rahne would devour any meal placed in front of her, another side effect of her mutation. But that wasn't the case tonight.  
  
"Nae really."  
  
Moira stood up and placed her dishes in the sink. She then sat down beside Rahne and put her arm across Rahne's shoulder and drew her close, "What's wrong, pumpkin?"  
  
"I want tae go back to the institute." Rahne said softly.  
  
Moira stood up and glared at Rahne, "We've been over this. Yuir nae safe there. I can protect ye here."  
  
Rahne stood up with tears in her eyes, "But I don' have any friends! Ye cannae make them like me! They hate me! They always have!"  
  
"Rahne, that's not true, they just need time." Moira reached out to comfort her daughter, but Rahne stood up and pulled away.  
  
"Pity an' hate, that's all this town has e'er given me!" Rahne snapped. In her anger, Rahne had unwittingly transformed into her werewolf like state, with reddish brown fur covering her body. Moira, a researcher of mutants, wasn't overly concerned about that so much as she was concerned about her daughter's feelings.  
  
"Ullapool isn't perfect Rahne, but I can protect ye here." Moira repeated as evenly as possible, "Craig's rotting in jail now, isn't he? Muh names carries weight in Scotland, an' it will keep ye safe."  
  
"I had friends, fer the first time in muh life at the institute! I love ye, but this island is Hell! I don' have anyone to talk to or anyone who knows what I'm going thru!"  
  
Moira again reached out to consul her daughter, but Rahne pulled away and transformed into a full wolf, tearing her pants and shirt in the process. Rahne then bolted out of the room and out the front door like a bat out of hell and onto the soil of Muir Island, quickly losing herself in the small forest that was on the edge of the island.  
  
Moira followed Rahne out as fast as she could, but stopped short of ordering Rahne back. Rahne was a terribly obedient child, Moira knew, who'd no doubt bottle things up even more if she didn't allow Rahne her space. So Moira threw a heavy coat on, grabbed a blanket for Rahne's return, and sat in an old rocking chair. Moira ran her hand thru her hair trying to figure out how best to handle the situation. Muir Island was a hardly a good place for a thirteen-year-old girl to grow up. Sure, Sean was due to return and bring his daughter with him, but Muir simply wasn't what a teenager needed. Moira, a doctor in several sciences, knew that but she was deathly afraid of exposing Rahne to even more trauma. All she could do was play it by ear, and she hated that.  
  
***  
  
Rahne, for her part, tried to lose herself in her wolf form. Despite what some of her fellow New Recruits thought, her wolf form didn't induce the creation of a separate personality. Rather, her thoughts were simpler and more pure. But Rahne wasn't concerned with that now. Rather, she was taking in the texture of the forest, the smell of the trees. Rahne loved the enhanced senses of her wolf form; to her it was like a whole other world. One that was now taking her away from her troubles.  
  
Suddenly, her nose caught another, unfamiliar scent. It registered as rubber and leather in her mind, but part of her fought that recognition. Moira didn't wear leather combat boots, nor did Sean, Moira's often-absent boyfriend. So how'd the scents get there?  
  
Rahne never had time to realize that there were intruders on her mother's island. Several sedative darts struck her back, almost instantly turning her limbs to jelly. Rahne tried to call out for help, but her mouth didn't respond and she spiraled into darkness. Her body shifted back from wolf to teenage girl as she fell unconscious.  
  
The Hydra soldiers who shot Rahne with the darts, four in all, repelled down from the trees around Rahne's unconscious form.  
  
"Christ, she's just a kid." One soldier commented. He pulled out a electronic blanket and placed it over Rahne to protect her from the cold.  
  
"So what? She's a mutie." Another replied, "Should we sanction the mother?"  
  
"No need. We have what we came for."  
  
And so, under the cover of night, the Hydra troops carefully smuggled Rahne away and off of Muir Island to a waiting boat, and from there to another Hydra base.  
  
***  
  
Twelve Hours later  
  
"Everything was a success, Madame Hydra. Our plans proceed ahead at pace. We'll bring the girl to Hydra Central in two days time." A faceless minion reported to the head of Hydra.  
  
Madame Hydra sat back in her chair and grinned. Soon, Hydra would have the perfect, unstoppable killer at their disposal, ready to fulfill Hydra's agenda. All the losses from the past would be recouped at half the cost. All this operation required, was some patience. And Madame Hydra had that in spades.  
  
But Madame Hydra wouldn't have been nearly as pleased with herself if she knew of the pair of eyes lurking in the vent above her, observing her every move. The figure had dark intentions towards Madame Hydra, but restrained those urges upon learning Rahne's plight. But now they were torn between justice and vengeance.  
  
Next time: Who's going to save Rahne? Why does Hydra want her to begin with? The answers will surprise you! 


	2. Chapter 2

Raskolion Phoenix: Yeah, it helps if I put my email on the page, don't it? Yeah, last issue needed more editing. My only excuse is that I put it up at 12 o clock at night! I'm striving to do better  
  
To everyone else: Thanks for the reviews and if you came back, hope you enjoy the chapter!  
  
Hydra Base, West Coast  
  
Madame Hydra watched with interest as a high tech airship the size of most cargo planes landed on the runway of her secret base, it's precious cargo inside. Men in white lab coats rushed out to greet the plane and it's crew.  
  
In moments, Rahne Sinclair, secured to a medical bed and with an I.V drip that included special drugs meant to keep her peacefully asleep was rolled down the plane's ramp and onto the tarmac. The doctors walked beside Rahne's rolling bed, each talking to the other and confirming various medical facts in regards to Rahne's care.  
  
Madame Hydra signaled for the men to stop as they began to pass. They complied instantly, and Madame Hydra loomed over Rahne, inspecting the young mutant like a tiger looking over it's fallen prey.  
  
"So this wisp of a girl is the future of our Weapon X program?" Madam Hydra asked her lead scientist as she stroked Rahne's face in an almost motherly fashion. Somehow her powerful voice managed to drown out the sounds of the plane engines not thirty feet away.  
  
"That's correct. We've already finished with her and we've a room prepared for her now." One man replied  
  
"Good. I've other projects that require my attention." Madame Hydra turned away sharply, "see this trash to her room and see that nothing goes wrong with this project."  
  
"Nothing will go wrong." Dr. Markus assured the supreme Hydra leader as he approached the flight deck to check on Rahne himself, "no one knows we have the girl and the plan is simplicity itself."  
  
"I will hold you to that, doctor." Madame Hydra warned, "This project is proving to be a costly failure, especially with our other successes."  
  
Dr. Markus found himself adjusting his collar at the implied threat, no matter how he willed himself not too, "No more failures. I promise."  
  
A malicious grin came across Madame Hydra's lips, "Good."  
  
Dr. Markus watched as Madame Hydra strolled away to attend to other matters of Hydra, and then looked at his subordinates who'd yet move Rahne to her 'room'.  
  
"Well?! What are you idiots waiting for? Get moving!" Dr. Markus snapped, failing pitifully to hide his fear.  
  
***  
  
"God, I knew this job was crummy, but this takes the cake." One scientist moaned as he went about securing various medical attachments to Rahne. He attached a heart monitor to her left hand and another rounded heart monitor above her heart. Rahne, as ever, slept thru it all peacefully thanks to the drugs that had been administered to her on a regular basis since her kidnapping.  
  
"I know what you mean, she's just an innocent kid." Another scientist sighed. Only two men were in the room, as the sleeping mutant wasn't deemed too much a threat. But to both men, that only seemed to make things worse. Here they were, victimizing some poor defenseless girl like mad scientists out of a crappy B movie.  
  
"So was I, at one time. Never again thanks to Hydra."  
  
-Snickt!-  
  
The blood of both men ran cold when they heard that sound. Moving at a pace that would put glaciers to shame, they turned to see a brown haired girl wearing an all black leather combat suit with two claws protruding out of her knuckles, standing just to the left of the closed door way.  
  
"How do you boys feel about taking on a girl who isn't so innocent?" X-23 inquired.  
  
Both men made a mad dash for the closed door. They weren't nearly quick enough. X-23 leaped forward and drop kicked one scientist into the other and slamming them into the steel walls of the room.  
  
"Alright, I've heard bits and pieces of what you sickos want that girl for, but I want the full story and I want it now, or I play tik tac toe with your faces!" X-23 hissed as she waved her claws in front of the men's faces.  
  
The two scientists couldn't talk and explain the situation fast enough. By the time they were finished, X-23 was thoroughly disgusted. She'd given up a possible shot of revenge on Madame Hydra to discover why Hydra wanted Rahne, and now didn't regret her decision in the least. X-23 grabbed the scientists by the face and slammed their heads up against the wall. No point in killing them in case she needed later.  
  
X-23 strolled over to Rahne's bedside and severed tube with a single slash of her claws. She then gently slapped Rahne's face in an effort to get her to stir.  
  
"Come on, kid, we need to scram!"  
  
It took her several minutes, but Rahne slowly came around, her advanced metabolism burning out the drugs at an accelerated rate.  
  
"Wha...where am I?" Rahne asked as she came out of her drugged stupor. The site of the brown haired X-23 naturally confused her, but the drugs still impaired her mind.  
  
"I'll give you the headlines, kid. You've been kidnapped by Hydra. They're badguys. I hate Hydra, and I've decided to get you out. With me so far?"  
  
Rahne nodded, then suddenly realized that she'd been taken while on Muir. Rahne shot up in her bed like a bullet, "Mum! Lady Moira, where is she? Did they hurt her?!"  
  
"They didn't say anything about her, so I doubt it. Hydra wants to keep a low profile." X-23 explained evenly, "Killing a Noble Peace prize winner? Not low profile."  
  
X-23 walked over to where she'd concealed a brown gym bag. She reached inside and tossed some clothes to Rahne, who was wearing a Hydra hospital gown, "Get dressed. We need to split, like now."  
  
Rahne quickly complied, grabbing up the clothes and getting dressed at a frantic rate. As she got dressed, she couldn't help but notice how her own scent had somehow shifted, changed. It was different from before, altered somehow. Rahne pushed that thought out of her mind and once she was done, stepped down off the bed and asked, "What now?"  
  
X-23 pointed up towards the ceiling, where Rahne saw an open vent. She figured out the rest. X-23 boosted Rahne up, and followed herself.  
  
"Follow me." X-23 ordered.  
  
The escape was slow and tedious, the vents of the building leading to a forgotten building at the far side of the Hydra complex, largely forgotten now in favor of the more advanced facilities. As soon as X-23 and Rahne stepped out of the old vent, alarms began blaring.  
  
"Oh no." Rahne whispered, deathly afraid of recapture.  
  
"Eh, they just found out you were gone. No biggie." X-23 shrugged. She pointed towards and old fire escape, "I've got a car waiting about a mile down the road, in the woods. Get going, I'll make sure no one follows."  
  
Rahne hesitated, uncertain of what to do and how much she should trust this trained assassin.  
  
"Go, God damn it! I don't have time to baby sit!" X-23 snapped. Painfully aware of how limited her choices were, Rahne made her way over to the ladder and climbed down. X-23 watched the girl reach the ground and seemingly melt into the forest. X-23 wasn't overly concerned about Hydra soldiers discovering Rahne. They were sloppy, careless. How they ever could have produced X-23 baffled the teenage warrior at times.  
  
Turning her attention towards the main facility, X-23 withdrew a detonator from inside the folds of her coat and depressed the large button. Bombs hidden in the munitions stockpile, the buildings that held the jet fuel that supplied Hydra's hi tech transports and several other bombs hidden in key locations. The subsequent explosion destroyed a good three quarters of the complex, only sparing the building X-23 was standing on. With a satisfied smile, X-23 flipped backwards and jumped off the edge of the building, falling three stories and landing on her feet without missing a beat. It would be some time before Hydra even had any idea what had been lost in the explosion she'd caused. At the moment, that gave X-23 was edge she might be able to exploit.  
  
At a casual sprinting pace, X-23 easily caught up with Rahne, who'd been making her way thru the forest.  
  
"X-23!" Rahne exclaimed, "What was that terrible explosion, what happened?"  
  
"Lets just say we won't have to worry about Hydra coming after us any time soon." X-23 explained as she slowed down to a brisk walking pace, "Your name Rahne's right?"  
  
"Aye, why'd they kidnap me? Who are you?" Rahne asked apprehensively.  
  
"Name's X-23. As to why they kidnapped you," X-23 shrugged unconvincingly as they continued thru the forest, "I'm not sure yet."  
  
"Where are we?"  
  
"California, west coast." X-23 answered.  
  
Rahne felt a knot form in her stomach. The West Coast was, obviously, very far from both Scotland and her friends at the institute. Not a good place to be with terrorists on your heels.  
  
"Don't worry, kid. I won't let Hydra get you again." X-23 reassured Rahne, almost reading her thoughts. Finally, the woods seemed to break, exactly where X-23 had parked her car.  
  
"This is yuir car?!" Rahne asked, completely astonished by X-23's taste in cars.  
  
The car was an old Volts Wagon Beetle, like an ugly lime green clone of the car named Herbie.  
  
"It's genius, kid. No one suspects the bug. Now climb on in. I've got a hotel room a few miles from here."  
  
Rahne got inside, and the two quickly sped away. Rahne realized the basic idea behind the car. While it certainly looked unassuming, X-23 had juiced it up considerably.  
  
"So, tell me about yourself, Rahne. You got a boyfriend?" X-23 asked.  
  
Rahne thought remorsefully about the almost relationship she had with Bobby, "Nae really."  
  
"You had a boyfriend in the last couple of months you got friendly with then?" X-23 inquired. Rahne seemed to miss any possible subtext to the question.  
  
"Nae." Rahne answered as she began staring out the window. Though X- 23 assured her that Moira was likely physically fine, Rahne knew her mother must be going thru hell now, knowing nothing besides the fact that Rahne had been kidnapped. Rahne hated the idea she was causing Moira so much worry.  
  
"Rahne, this might seem weird, but we'll need to stop by a pharmacy on the way back."  
  
Rahne barely acknowledged the statement.  
  
***  
  
And as she looked at X-23 with a little but important box in her hand, Rahne, looking back, would have admitted that was something of a mistake.  
  
"I don' see the point tae this!" Rahne said, very uncomfortable just holding the little box X-23 had bought from the pharmacy and forced into her hands.  
  
"Just humor me, okay?"  
  
"But..."  
  
"Rahne, come on..." X-23 sighed, "I saved you from Hydra, so that kinda proves I'm on your side. Just trust me on this, okay?"  
  
"But, I don' ken how to use it." Rahne muttered softly in defeat.  
  
"Instructions are on the box. Just go in the bathroom and do it, okay?"  
  
***  
  
Later  
  
Rahne sat on one of the dual beds in the hotel room. The time limit was up, and X-23 had gone into the bathroom to check the results.  
  
Part of Rahne was relieved. What X-23 suspected couldn't be true. It was physically impossible. But not too deep in her mind, Rahne recognized the fact that X-23 likely knew something Rahne did not. The look on X-23 when she returned from the bathroom wasn't exactly encouraging either.  
  
"I'm sorry kid..."  
  
"Nae, yuir wrong!" Rahne interrupted, "I've ne'er even been with a boy! Ever! It's impossible!"  
  
"Rahne, the test doesn't lie. Nor does my nose. Your body is producing hormones it normally doesn't, we can both smell it. We both know the truth." X-23 explained. X-23 took a deep sigh, as she knew her news wasn't exactly the most welcome news for any thirteen year old girl to hear.  
  
"Rahne, you're pregnant."  
  
***  
  
Across the street from the hotel room X-23 and Rahne occupied, a lone man with a sniper rifle watched the two girls converse from his perch in thick trees. Like X-23, this man had his own mission and vendetta against Hydra. But unlike X-23, he was willing to sell his soul to get it. And now, Rahne was in his sights.  
  
Next chapter: That's right, Rahne's pregnant! But how and why? Who's the person behind curtain number 3 (last curtain, I swear)? 


	3. Chapter 3

Notes: The Bobby referenced last issue was Robert Decosta, Sunspot. Forgot that there were two Bobbies running around.  
  
Also, the fight scene in this chapter is a little...violent. Not excessively or graphically so, but when two people with healing factors fight it can get nasty.  
  
Also, (shameless plug time) if you like my handling of Rahne, follow the link to Marvel 2000 and check out Force Works. It's not 14 plus issues of Rahne action, plus an upcoming Giant Sized in which Rahne focuses heavily.  
  
Now, on with the fic...!  
  
Some unassuming hotel room on the West Coast  
  
"Rahne, you're pregnant."  
  
Rahne Sinclair struggled to comprehend what X-23 had said. Intellectually, Rahne understood her perfectly. But emotionally was another matter.  
  
"I cannae be pregnant! I've never...I mean, I haven't..."  
  
"Had sex? Knocked boots? Tossed the salad?" X-23 offered casually.  
  
"Made... love." Rahne stammered out, blushing despite the situation.  
  
X-23 sighed and sat down in front of Rahne on the bed, "I know kiddo. I asked the scientists what Hydra wanted you for, but they weren't sure if the procedure had been performed yet. Why I insisted on the test."  
  
"What did they do tae me?" Rahne asked, deathly afraid of the answer but needing to know all the same.  
  
"I'll start at the beginning." X-23 stated, "You know who Wolverine is, right?"  
  
"Mr. Logan? Aye."  
  
"Well, before he worked as a teacher he worked for the C.I.A, D.E.A and a whole bunch of other secret organizations doing...nasty work."  
  
Rahne shuddered. She'd always been afraid of Logan back at the institute on some level, and now it looked like her fears were justified.  
  
"Anyways, he was really good at his job. 'Best there is at what I do' was his motto, and it wasn't ego. It was fact. Eventually, Wolverine stopped doing that kind of work. Thing is, no one stopped wanting to a soldier like him. Hydra discovered and adopted the Weapon X program that'd given Wolverine his claws."  
  
-Snickt!-  
  
Rahne nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw X-23 pop her two claws in her left hand.  
  
"You recognized these, right?"  
  
Rahne nodded.  
  
"Well, they were first bonded onto Wolverine by the Weapon X program, like they were to me. We weren't born with them. In attempting to get their own Wolverine, Hydra tried cloning him. Wasn't until they switched chromosomes that they got a clone strong enough to withstand the bonding process."  
  
"What does that have to do with me?"  
  
"Cloning is hard to do. I was born in a sixty five million dollar test tube that I later blew up. Sometimes the old ways are the best. From what I can tell, they used artificial insemination, using one of your eggs and the altered DNA of the soldier they wanted to create and well..."  
  
"Who's...the father?" Rahne croaked out, the conversation distressing her as it continued further and further.  
  
"Hard to say, really. For all I know, it's just an altered DNA strand mixed with your egg."  
  
"So these monsters used me as a bloody brood mare in their sick experiments?!" Rahne felt like she wanted to vomit. Just what kind of creature was growing in her womb now? Was it human, mutant or some beast?  
  
X-23 put her hand on Rahne's shoulder to steady her and said, "Don't worry about it, kid. We'll find a doctor and get this situation fixed."  
  
THAT caught Rahne's attention, cutting thru her fears like a knife, "I turn into a wolf, but I'm nae some bloody animal!"  
  
X-23 rolled her eyes, "Rahne, I meant..."  
  
X-23's voiced trailed off as alarms went off in her head. War-trained instincts told her something was up even though she wasn't conscious of a threat.  
  
X-23 began concentrating on her enhanced senses. She could smell Rahne's body temperate rise as she contemplated what was done to her and smell the salt of her developing tears. The room stank of old sweat, smoke and molding walls, but otherwise nothing was amiss.  
  
X-23 next focused on her hearing. Her heart rate was normal, Rahne's heart was fluttering and someone was listening to Judge Judy three rooms away. Then she heard it. Someone was walking down the hall about to cross in front of curtained window that was right beside the front door of their hotel room. The man's breath and heart rate was increasing in preparation for something, and she could hear metal pins slapping against clothes flesh. X-23 found she almost recognized the sounds, which set off even more alarms.  
  
X-23 stood up, ready to strike, when suddenly two hissing metal cylinders burst thru the front window and landed in between the T.V and the beds.  
  
"Rahne, get down!" X-23 screamed. She pushed Rahne to the floor and fell atop the startled girl. With speed that would put Quicksilver to shame, X- 23 grabbed the mattress of the bed they'd been sitting upon and pulled it over them.  
  
The first cylinder exploded in a hail of shrapnel. The second one bellowed out white smoke that engulfed the room.  
  
"What's happenin'?" Rahne whispered anxiously, smart enough to know to keep quite in situations like this.  
  
"Dunno yet. We'll find out in a second, though."  
  
The wall that the faced the two beds exploded and a tall, well built man wearing an odd combination of black and red and armed with dozens of various weapons stepped thru. "Honey, I'm home!"  
  
Rahne saw X-23's jaw drop open. It wasn't in terror or fear, rather it was outraged annoyance. X-23 stood up and pushed the mattress off her and Rahne, and glared at the new arrival.  
  
"Deadpool, just what the hell are you doing?!" X-23 demanded of the masked madman.  
  
Deadpool shrugged sheepishly, like he'd just arrived for a party at the wrong time, "What? Where's the love? I thought you liked it when I blow stuff up!"  
  
"Hydra Wade! I like it when you blow up Hydra! And there was a reason we agreed you would take the East Coast while I took the West Coast." X-23 snapped.  
  
"Women, who can figure 'em?" Deadpool asked no one in particular.  
  
"Ye know this madman?" Rahne asked as she timidly stood behind X-23.  
  
"He's Wade Wilson. They first tried to recreate the Weapon X program using gene therapy on a normal human. They got Deadpool instead."  
  
"Yeah, I'm basically the same story as X-23 there, only with no boobs, even uglier and less armpit hair." Deadpool quipped  
  
"Hey!"  
  
Deadpool raised his hands defensively, "Hey, I call it likes I sees it, babe."  
  
X-23 sighed, "We had an agreement, Wade. One that kept you far away from me, for a reason. Why are you here?"  
  
Deadpool pointed at Rahne, "I'm here about little orphan Annie. You got sloppy kid. Rin tin tin's room had a real time camera feed at Hydra HQ. They know she's still alive."  
  
X-23 threw her hands up in frustration, "Sonofa...! Well, thanks for the utterly insane heads up. You can leave now."  
  
"I don't think so." Deadpool said. He withdrew a knife from his belt, and began rolling it thru his fingers like it was a quarter, "See, I like you kid, and I feel sorry for red there, but you two being ladies, I don't know if you have the stones to do what you gotta do. No offense meant to lady folk in general."  
  
X-23's eyes narrowed as she regarded Deadpool, "We haven't gotten that far Wade. And you know what? Whatever her choice, it isn't your concern."  
  
Deadpool stopped rolling his knife and pointed it at X-23, "That's where you're wrong, babe. See, speaking as a freak of nature created by Hydra wackos, I'm not about to let Hydra bring any more freaks of nature into the world."  
  
"Rahne..." X-23 spared a glance behind her at the frightened mutant, "...run!"  
  
Rahne didn't need to be told twice. Shifting to her half werewolf/human form, Rahne leaped over the bed between her and the door in a single bound. Deadpool threw his dagger at the fleeing girl, but X-23 blocked it with her claws as she leaped at the madman. She crossed her claws across Deadpool's chest, creating a long bloody 'X' on his chest.  
  
"Hey!" Deadpool slammed the palm of his hand into X-23's nose. Blood flowed freely from it as X-23 staggered backwards. Deadpool aimed one of his handguns at X-23 as a warning, "That's trademarked! Stab me, burn me shoot me but don't get the lawyers on my ass!"  
  
X-23 charged forward with a growl, and Deadpool unloaded his clip at her. X- 23 largely ignored the barrage, most of the bullets impacting harmlessly off indestructible bones. With a swipe of her claws, X-23 sliced the gun Deadpool shot had shot her with, taking bits of his fingers. She then tackled the bright red madman to the floor, but Deadpool went with the maneuver and rolled backwards and kicked X-23 off of him thru the hole in the wall he'd created in the adjoining room. X-23 sailed thru the air upside down and impacted the plaster wall, leaving X-23 shaped dent. She then fell towards the ground in a heap, her chin catching the nightstand.  
  
"Okay, first you get lawyers on me, then you hurt my love life!" Deadpool stalked towards X-23 with any small pistol in his hand. X-23 tried to get up to meet the attack, but suddenly the world began to swim around her, twisting and turning.  
  
"Mercury laced bullets. Instantly lethal to those without a healing factor. Even screws up those with one." Deadpool explained. He loomed closer, "Look, this doesn't have to be personal. I'm not going to kill the kid, I swear. But I ain't about to let that thing in her stomach into the world."  
  
"You don't get a choice, Wade." X-23 growled.  
  
Deadpool pulled back the hammer of his gun, "Is that so?"  
  
"Yup." X-23 brought her foot up and slammed it into Deadpool's crotch.  
  
"I got a cup, babe. And a healing factor."  
  
"You'll need it."  
  
-Snickt!-  
  
Deadpool looked down, and then back towards X-23, "Oh yeah, that's right. The metal hang nail."  
  
Deadpool's eyes then rolled up towards the back of his head and he passed into blissful unconsciousness.  
  
"Don't you talk to me about stones." X-23 sighed as she stood up, "I really should kill you, Wade."  
  
She brushed herself off and made her way outside, her nose searching for Rahne's scent. Surprisingly to X-23, she found Rahne hiding behind a corner at the far end of the hallway, waiting anxiously.  
  
"I thought you'd be half way to Texas by now, kid." X-23 called out.  
  
Rahne stepped out from behind the corner, "I don' like running away from those who help me."  
  
X-23 chuckled, "You got guts, kid. Now, lets get to the parking lot, we've gotta get out of here."  
  
All the residents of the hotel were smart enough to know to avoid both coming out of their rooms and the two women, but X-23 was curious as to where the cops were. After all, her battle with Deadpool had to scare someone into calling the police. She'd later learn that Deadpool called in some fake bomb threats, but now she was concerned with high tailing it out of the area. She opened the cab of her little bug, and then eyed the cars parked next to it.  
  
"I'm gonna miss you, little guy." X-23 sighed as she opened the door to a Honda Accord parked two cars away.  
  
"What are ye doin'? We need tae leave!" Rahne exclaimed.  
  
"I know. But we're taking this car, not the 'Bug. Deadpool knows that car." X-23 explained. She grabbed the magnetic license plates off her 'Bug and slapped them in the accord.  
  
"But that's stealin'! It's nae ours!"  
  
"Ya think?" X-23 snapped at the frightened and confused girl. X-23 took a moment to take a deep breath. As much as she hated the idea of taking Rahne with her, X-23 knew it was wrong to get angry with the young mutant. Rahne was an innocent pawn in all of this, and X-23 understood and appreciated that.  
  
"Look Rahne, I know it's wrong to steal. This life I lead, I don't like most of what I do. But I have to do it. Is one car worth your life, my life and maybe even the life of the child growing inside you?"  
  
"Nae, it's not." Rahne said softly.  
  
"I know it's hard and I know you're scared, but I need you to trust me." X- 23 put her hand on Rahne's shoulder, the first sign of support from her that registered to Rahne, "I am going to get you home, Rahne. But you need to follow my lead. And right now, I need you to get in the front seat of this car and just wait while I load some things into it."  
  
Rahne reluctantly complied. Once X-23 was done loading her gear, she hotwired the car and they sped out of the parking lot. Once they were a respectable enough distance, X-23 slowed down to meet the speed limit.  
  
"So where are we going?" Rahne asked.  
  
"Seattle."  
  
"What? But the institute...!"  
  
"I said I'd get you home and I meant it." X-23 said curtly, "But Hydra knows you're alive. Which means we can't head straight towards the school. They'd catch us in an instant. From Seattle, we can catch a train or somethin' to Nevada or somewhere else. We'll see. I'll get you home, but it won't be a fast trip. You're stuck with me for a while, kid."  
  
Rahne said nothing in reply. She simply crossed her arms and began unconsciously rubbing her stomach. When her powers developed, Rahne was thrust out of her comfortable life and into a world of hate and fear. But at least her one constant in life, her adoptive mother Moira, was always at least one phone call away. Not anymore. Now, Rahne only had herself and X- 23, a girl she barely knew. For all intents and purposes, Rahne was on her own. A difficult place for any thirteen year old, let alone one who was now pregnant.  
  
Sparing a glance towards X-23 and a thought regarding both Hydra and the madman Deadpool, Rahne made herself a silent promise.  
  
"I won't let them drag me down to their level. I swear it." She vowed.  
  
***  
  
Hydra general Peter Jackson watched Madame Hydra review the security recording of Rahne's rescue alongside a contingent of other high level Hydra members. Being the old Hydra member that he was, he thought Madame Hydra took the matter very well, though that was largely due to his fear of seeing Madame Hydra enraged. He was still unsettled by her acts of brutality years ago when she became slightly angered by the failures of the people under her.  
  
It took two years and hundreds of hours of therapy for his nightmares to finally stop.  
  
All illusions of control were shattered when Madame Hydra pulled out her side arm and shot the video image of X-23 right between the eyes and kept on firing until the video screen was utterly destroyed.  
  
"That girl, X-23, has done more than enough damage." Madame Hydra told her generals, every word laced with venom, "I want her found. I want her killed. Slowly and as painfully as possible. As of now, that is the mission of Hydra."  
  
"And the girl?" One of the more courageous generals asked.  
  
"She is nothing more than cattle, property." Madame Hydra hissed, "Our property. I want her returned. As long as she's alive and relatively unharmed, I don't care. We can start over with the experiment if need be. But I want that...that... thing back under Hydra control, at all costs."  
  
Next chapter: Hunted by two dangerous enemies, Rahne is faced with the hardest choice of her young life 


	4. Chapter 4

Notes: The opinions you see expressed in this chapter won't be the least bit objective. Don't like it? Too bad. Also, the issue of who's the baby's father is, (if the baby even has a father) will be left up in the air for a while, so don't hold your breath waiting for the answer  
  
On the road  
  
The first six hours of the drive to Seattle was rather quite. Rahne silently listened to the radio while X-23 navigated their stolen car thru traffic. But finally, Rahne had had enough. She wanted, no, needed human conversation. So she asked an obvious question of her savior.  
  
"What's yuir name?" Rahne asked.  
  
X-23 looked at Rahne confused, "X-23."  
  
"That's nae a name. It's a number with a letter."  
  
X-23 shrugged, "It's gotten me by so far."  
  
"So ye want me to call in public? X-23? Might raise suspicions, ye ken."  
  
"Fine, fine. If you gotta call me anything, call me Jesse."  
  
"Jessica?"  
  
X-23 glared at Rahne, "No, Jesse."  
  
A pause.  
  
"Since you're so talkative, tell me about yourself kid. You're Irish, right?"  
  
"Scottish." Rahne quickly corrected, with a bit of pride.  
  
"Eh, what's the difference? Both sound funny."  
  
"I'm from Ullapool." Rahne continued, ignoring the comment, "and if I ne'er see it again, well, that might nae be a bad thing."  
  
"Why's that? They freak out about your powers?" X-23 asked, rather surprised to hear the anger underlining Rahne's statement.  
  
"They...they tried to burn me at the stake when my powers manifested." Rahne shuddered at the memory.  
  
"Ouch. Yeah, I think understand why you don't want to go back."  
  
"It's nae that jus' that." Rahne sighed remorsefully, "ye ken how e'ery now and then, ye might come across a homeless dog?"  
  
"Most animals are scared of me on general principle."  
  
"But ye ken what I'm talking aboot?" Rahne asked, "How it's sooo cute and you'll feed it some scraps but never give it a home?"  
  
"Yeah, I guess." X-23 said.  
  
"Well, as an orphan that's all I really was tae the people o' Ullapool." Rahne said heatedly as her eyes started to water, "some quaint little addition to the scenery, nothin' more. Nae a little girl, jus' some lawn ornament. Other children were never allowed to play with me because they might ask their parents an awkward question aboot muh lack o' parents. Only Moira...mum e'er talked tae me before muh powers developed."  
  
"That's...pretty crappy." X-23 said honestly. She found, much to her surprise, that she felt sorry for Rahne. Sure, Hydra raised X-23 in one of the most horrible ways possible, but at least they were honest in their treatment of her. To them, she was a weapon to be honed. So long as she stabbed those they wanted stabbed and killed those they wanted killed, they treated her alright. It wasn't until she learned that she could be more than they started trying to kill her.  
  
By now, X-23 had taken an exit off the high way and turned into a busy off ramp into the city.  
  
"Do ye have any place in mind tae where we're goin'?" Rahne asked.  
  
"'Course. We're going to get a hotel in the city. Something nicer than that dingy hotel, I promise."  
  
"I'll repay the money I've cost ye." Rahne said softly. She knew Moira was wealthy, and while she didn't feel comfortable making promises for her adoptive mother, Rahne hated being a burden even more.  
  
"Heh, you're too cute, kid." X-23 smirked, "Don't sweat it one bit. All my money comes from stolen Hydra slush funds. I figure the enemies of the free world should pay me to tear them a new one."  
  
They drove thru heavy traffic for a few minutes before X-23 pulled the car to one corner and looked at Rahne, "Get out, and wait for me. I need to ditch the car get changed before we get to the hotel."  
  
Rahne looked at X-23 nervously, "Are ye sure that's such a good idea? Hydra..."  
  
"Won't pull anything in broad daylight. Can't really." A car honked it's horn at X-23 from behind, and she gave the driver a single finger salute in response. She then tossed an old Rolex watch into Rahne's hands, "stay here and give me fifteen minutes."  
  
Rahne stepped out cautiously, and watched X-23 peel away. It was then she realized that she failed to ask what she should do after fifteen minutes had passed and no X-23.  
  
The next fifteen minutes were the longest fifteen minutes of young Rahne's life. She stood out in front of a bookstore, her back to a red brick wall. The city block seemed to bustle with more life than Rahne had ever seen back home in Ullapool in a week, and it was somewhat disconcerting and in a very real way terrifying for the young girl, but Rahne endured as always.  
  
"Miss me kid?" The familiar voice of X-23 asked. Rahne, startled looked at X-23 and suddenly saw that her voice was the only thing that was familiar.  
  
X-23 was wearing a black tank top, tight leather pants, high heel shoes that were entirely too high, dark sunglasses with makeup and lipstick liberally applied. X-23 was carrying a large suitcase in one hand with while she had a backpack slung over her shoulder.  
  
"Jesse?"  
  
"Who else? Anyone asks, you're my cousin and we're on vacation." X-23 explained. Rahne wanted to say something, but bit her tongue. It could wait.  
  
When they reached the hotel, three blocks down the street, Rahne found herself in complete awe of the building. It was far, far taller than the bell tower that dominated the skyline of her hometown. The 'St. Croix Hotel' seemed to touch the sky and was immaculate despite it's large size. Rahne imagined that the large hotel could hold her entire town with little effort. And though she ashamed to think it, Rahne thought this hotel was simply too good for the likes of her, a poor orphan.  
  
Thankfully, Rahne was required to do very little talking. X-23 strolled provocatively thru the lobby and walked straight up to the front desk where a balding man in a cheap, poorly washed uniform was waiting.  
  
"Hello sweet thing, I need a room for two." X-23 purred, nodding back to indicate Rahne. The man, somewhat startled, stammered out a reply.  
  
"Just...just you two young ladies?"  
  
X-23 smiled seductively and discreetly pushed three hundred dollar bills forward, "Is there a law here against twosomes? I sure hope not."  
  
"No! I mean, we have plenty of open rooms. What position do you prefer? I mean, what kind of room package would you like?"  
  
X-23 shrugged, "Most expensive one ya got. Only live once, right?"  
  
"Of course, of course."  
  
The arrangements were quickly, and the two girls were given directions up to their room. The room was far more spacious than almost anything Rahne had ever seen before, with two queen-sized beds, a T.V twice the size of most small children and a mini bar stocked with fruits that Rahne had to admit looked incredibly tempting. X-23 set the bags down she'd been carrying as soon she stepped thru the door and made a beeline towards the bathroom. Rahne slowly followed her and said thru the door, "Jesse, if it's all right, may I ask ye a question?"  
  
"Why did I dress and act like a cheap whore just now?" X-23 inquired as she splashed some water on her face, removing the majority of her makeup.  
  
"Aye! I mean nae, umm..."  
  
X-23 opened the bathroom door so that she could look at Rahne in the face. She had an oddly humored look on her face, "I'm not an idiot Rahne. I know I looked like a cheap two bit floozy back there."  
  
X-23 closed the door as she continued, "Men have two major organs, but not enough blood to operate both at the same time. If I hadn't distracted him like that, he likely wouldn't have let two seemingly under age girls rent a room, and this place is a whole lot safer for you than some hourly hotel."  
  
"Oh." Rahne thought about it for a moment, and realized that it did make perfect sense in retrospect, "Jesse, is this how ye always live yuir life?"  
  
X-23 emerged from the bathroom, devoid any makeup and wearing her combat black leather uniform, "Like what?"  
  
"Every little detail jus' planned oot." Rahne explained.  
  
X-23 paused for a moment, "Yeah, I guess so. Way of life for me."  
  
Rahne then looked at X-23's uniform, "Are...are ye goin' out somewhere?"  
  
"I need to do some scouting, find out a few things, make some travel plans and get you some decent clothes. No offense kid, but you'd just be dead w...you'd slow me down."  
  
"Umm, ye jus' want me tae stay here?" Rahne asked, rubbing the back of her neck nervously.  
  
"Yeah. Order some room service, watch some T.V, take a shower, but don't you dare touch that phone." X-23 warned, deadly serious.  
  
"But mum...!"  
  
X-23 glared at Rahne, who found she wanted to wither away under her gaze, "You touch that phone to call anyone, and Hydra will find you. And who ever you call will die. Understand?"  
  
Rahne lowered her head in defeat, "Aye."  
  
"Good. Try to enjoy yourself kid. You got free cable and all you can eat food. Could be worse."  
  
***  
  
Rahne tried to take X-23's advise to heart as best she could. Over the course of three hours, Rahne ordered four trays of food, devoured them all (while trying not to think about why she was so hungry), and enjoyed a nice short shower. Rahne was currently wearing an oversized football shirt laying on her stomach on one bed and watching the Cartoon Network's Roadrunner marathon. For only a little while, Rahne lost herself in the cartoons and felt halfway normal. When she heard the door open and close, indicating X-23 had returned. Rahne swiftly grabbed the remote and changed the channel to some News station.  
  
"Damn, where's the army hiding at?" X-23 joked as she surveyed all the spent food trays, "and why'd you change the channel?"  
  
"I...don' know what yuir talking about." Rahne said unconvincingly.  
  
X-23 swiped the remote from Rahne and clicked on the 'previous channel' feature, which returned the T.V to the Roadrunner marathon, "I can hear a T.V from down the hall. What, you can trust me to save your life but can't tell me what you watch on T.V?"  
  
Rahne cast her eyes down, deeply embarrassed, "Because it's childish, tae like cartoons so much. But I ne'er even knew they existed growing up."  
  
"Yeah, you're right. Lets go get drunk, have some sex and then get high." X- 23 proposed casually.  
  
Rahne was aghast at the comment.  
  
"See kid?" X-23 grabbed an apple that escaped Rahne's hunger and took a bite, "your vices are pretty damn tame. Nothin' to be ashamed of. Besides, Roadrunner is cool."  
  
Rahne thought about it for a moment and was surprised to found she agreed with X-23. She certainly never thought of it like that.  
  
"You can watch this a little bit more, then you need to get to bed. I got you a doctors appointment tomorrow."  
  
***  
  
When Rahne awoke the next day, she found herself actually relieved to have an appointment with a doctor. She needed someone to tell her what was happening to her body, what was the situation with the child growing inside her.  
  
So she got dressed as quickly as possible, both her and X-23 wearing casual clothes that one might expect teenagers their age to wear. Rahne was slightly confused as to why X-23 insisted that they both wear hats and large sunglasses, but wasn't concerned with it too much. Rahne knew, after all, they needed to maintain their anonymity.  
  
The ride was relatively quite, neither girl knowing quite what to say until,  
  
"We're almost at the clinic, Rahne. I'm gonna park down the block and we'll walk up to the clinic."  
  
"Alright."  
  
X-23 parked the car, and once the engine stopped, Rahne heard something that made her blood run cold. X-23 could hear Rahne's heart as it began to pound like a jackhammer.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"There's a bloody mob at the clinic!" Rahne exclaimed.  
  
X-23 inwardly winced, "Don't worry, they're not going to touch you. But we're going to have to get past them for your appointment. Trust me, okay?"  
  
Rahne nodded. It wasn't like she had any other choice other than to trust X- 23. She stepped out of the car and followed X-23's lead. Once they were within eyeshot of the mob, close enough for them to see the mob but not close enough to be identified as heading into the clinic itself. Rahne couldn't read the name of the clinic itself, as her eyes were transfixed on the protestors and their signs.  
  
Abortion is murder.  
  
It's a life, not a choice.  
  
Babykillers.  
  
The crowd was fairly light as far as protestors were concerned, but Rahne didn't care. She knew what this clinic was for and why those people were there. She began backpedaling in horror and outrage, but X-23 grabbed her in a grip of steel.  
  
"I won' do it!" Rahne snarled, "ye can't make me!"  
  
"Rahne..."  
  
"It's wrong! Ye lied tae me!" Rahne struggled to break free of X-23's grip without attracting the attention of the mob, but it was an exercise in futility.  
  
"Rahne, listen to me!" X-23 grabbed the sides of Rahne's shoulders and fiercely shook her once, forcing Rahne to stop her struggles, "I'm not going to force you to have an abortion, I promise. But you need to consider all your options. You don't even know who or even what the baby's father is!"  
  
That struck a nerve more raw than even X-23 imagined. Rahne felt like she'd suddenly had a thousand glass shards stab into her lungs and she glared daggers at X-23, looking oddly like she was going either break down crying or tear out X-23's throat. Perhaps even both.  
  
"This is your future, kid and I'm sorry but you need to make some hard choices." X-23 continued. She took Rahne's hand, "I won't make you do anything you don't want to, but I will make you at least consider it. Is that too much to ask?"  
  
Rahne shook her head no, but remained silent and swallowed hard. The two girls walked up the sidewalk towards the clinic. Police who were on hand kept the crowd at a distance while X-23 and Rahne walked up the stone steps.  
  
Rahne once thought having the entirety of her hometown, people who by all rights should have known her for the good and decent person she truly was, was the most painful and traumatic thing that could ever happen to her. She now discovered just how wrong she was. The looks, the shouts about how she was going to become a murderer, about how immoral she was, they were all like a million hot needles in her heart. At least with the mob back home Rahne could run away.  
  
X-23 felt Rahne's hand grip hers even strong for support, which X-23 offered freely. X-23 glared at anyone foolish enough to try to talk to Rahne directly, warding them off one and all. Instinctively no one would challenge X-23 directly and as far as X-23 was concerned, this decision was Rahne's and Rahne's alone.  
  
Much to her surprise, Rahne didn't immediately burst into flames when she stepped thru the doors of the clinic. The lobby looked like the lobby of any other non-emergency medical facility. It barely registered Rahne's mind when she and X-23 approached the receptionist and X-23 informed the lady behind the desk that they had an appointment. Rahne was too busy begging for forgiveness and wondering what she'd done that was so wrong that she had to make such a difficult choice so early in her life.  
  
Rahne was lost in her own little world of self-doubt, loathing and just plain confusion until X-23 nudged her on the shoulder, "The doctor's ready to see us."  
  
A nurse led them down the hall to where the Doctor had his office. As they walked down the hall, Rahne's nose (and X-23, though she didn't really care) was assaulted with a powerful mix of odors. Rahne's inexperienced nose couldn't identify a single one other than the fact that she hated the smell and wondered morbidly if the scents wouldn't follow her her whole life if she did what X-23 wanted.  
  
The doctor who greeted them was an elderly gentleman with a white beard who identified himself as a one Dr. Anderson. He motioned for Rahne and X-23 to sit down in the chairs in front of his desk. Rahne was surprised at all the medical degrees and accolades she saw and cynically wondered how many of them were forged.  
  
Dr. Anderson sat down behind his desk and steepled his hands together in front of himself, "Your cousin tells me you have some concerns regarding the procedure."  
  
"Abortion." Rahne said softly.  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"It's nae a procedure. It's abortion. Lets use the correct euphemism, doctor." Rahne said, her eyes never meeting Dr. Anderson's but steel in her voice nonetheless. X-23 looked at Rahne with a raised eye brow as the doctor continued,  
  
"Very well. An abortion is safe and valid medical option in instances of unwanted pregnancies. The procedure is quick and safe, and is completely painless with, ideally, no long term physical effects."  
  
"How painless is it f'r the child?" Rahne asked sharply.  
  
"The fetus isn't a baby yet. And it feels nothing."  
  
"It?" Rahne asked, all the while never once looking at the doctor, "So when does 'it' stop bein' an it and become a child?"  
  
Dr. Anderson sighed inwardly. As much as he tried to remain objective, he couldn't miss the judgment in Rahne's tone, the exact same tone Dr. Anderson had heard in his friends who would often ask how he could do what, in the voice of his son who'd long since disowned him and a thousand others who were opposed to what he did. Dr. Anderson leaned forward on his desk and said, "Ms. Sinclair, if you haven't figured that out for yourself, then you shouldn't be here."  
  
Rahne looked at X-23, who shrugged, and then finally back at the doctor, "Yuir absolutely right."  
  
Rahne stood up and left the room.  
  
"Sorry about that doc." Stated X-23 as she stood up, "I kinda hoped she'd undergo the procedure, make this easier for herself but I didn't expect it."  
  
"She simply should have been more careful to begin with." Dr. Anderson stated.  
  
"Excuse me?" X-23 growled.  
  
"I said she should have been more careful. I've seen it a thousand times. She was careless, either with herself or at a party, and she became pregnant and now won't have an abortion because of what her parents droned into her about it." Dr. Anderson explained matter of factly.  
  
X-23 let out a bitter laugh, "You're a real piece of work, doc. You can't stand being judged by others but more than willing to judge them. Just so you know, asshole? Rahne's not pregnant because of anything she did wrong."  
  
X-23 then walked out of the office and joined up with the waiting Rahne. The two were escorted to a backdoor of the clinic that led away from the protestors and pointed towards a nearby park.  
  
"Thanks f'r stickin' up for me." Rahne muttered softly.  
  
"What? With the doc? Guy was a prick." X-23 said, "Still Rahne, I gotta say you're being too close minded about this whole thing. Hydra forced this thing on you."  
  
"Her." Rahne corrected, "the child growing inside me isnae a 'thing' or 'it'."  
  
By now they had reached the park and were strolling through it.  
  
"Her?"  
  
"If I have to be a mum, I'd like a daughter." Rahne explained.  
  
"Okay, her. She was forced on you by Hydra, terrorists who want to overthrow every current government, in an attempt to breed a perfect and ruthless killer. I doubt she's going to grow up to be Mother Theresa."  
  
Rahne sat down on an unoccupied bench, and X-23 took a seat beside her.  
  
"If we're goin' tae talk aboot the sins of the child, what about mine?"  
  
"Umm, you lost me kid." X-23 confessed.  
  
"I killed me own mum."  
  
X-23 looked at Rahne, more than a little confused, "What?"  
  
"Me mum, biological mother, was a lady o' the night."  
  
"Prostitute."  
  
Rahne glared at X-23, tears forming in her eyes, "Lady o' the night. A real wildcat, accordin' tae Reverend Craig. Eventually, she became pregnant wit' me, how I'm nae sure beyond the obvious. She died in childbirth," Rahne sniffled a little, and blinked back a tear, "muh first act in this world was murder."  
  
X-23 rolled her eyes dismissively, "Rahne, your mom died because she was an idiot, offense. I doubt she gave birth to you in a hospital, or she'd still be here. And newsflash kid, you were a baby, you didn't have any control over how you were brought into this world."  
  
X-23 paused, realized what she'd just said and then looked at Rahne.  
  
"And you're a whole lot smarter than I give you credit for, aren't you?"  
  
Rahne smiled at X-23 weakly, "How do ye know how tae hotwire a car? How tae use a gun, or fight as well as ye do?"  
  
"I learned it." X-23 sighed, "Okay, I see what you're saying, and I'm surprised that I actually agree with you. But there are other concerns too."  
  
"I ken what's growing inside isnae some oversized doll that I can dress-up an' play with." Rahne stated, "she's a responsibility. A full time one. I know that, but ye know what else?"  
  
"What?"  
  
Rahne lightly touched her stomach, "I ken she's a life. An innocent life and I could ne'er live with muhself if I dinnae do everything in my power to bring her into this world an' protect her. Maybe if someone did that fer me before Moira, I wouldnae be here. I'm...I'm sorry if I disappointed ye."  
  
"Why would you being doing that?" X-23 asked, "Yeah, I don't agree with your choice, but you're sticking up for what you believe in and not taking an easy out. Gotta respect that."  
  
"I guess," Rahne admitted, "Still, I cannae thank ye enough. I would still be in some bloody lab if it weren't f'r ye."  
  
"Rahne, I'll jump into a pool full of piranhas for you if I have to, but I ain't doing this for you." X-23 stated, "As far as I'm concerned, Hydra needs to be stopped. Stopped because I want revenge, stopped because they're evil and stopped from bring more monsters and killers into the world. No more X-23s, world's got more than enough already."  
  
Rahne was about to say something in response, when suddenly she heard a noise much like a cell phone and saw X-23's face become a mask of rage. X- 23 reached into her back pocket and pulled out a cell phone all the while eying the surrounding area with suspicion.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"I rigged this phone to ring if it picked up any Hydra radio frequencies." X-23 explained. She glanced at the readout, "Only one. But damned if it's not an annoying one."  
  
"Who?"  
  
X-23 placed her arm across Rahne's chest to prevent her from standing up, "No one you know. Just trust me and stay calm."  
  
An instant after X-23 said that, the surrounding area seemingly exploded in a hail of bullets, falling from the sky like rain. Chunks of dirt flew into the air, scrubs were sliced in half and people ran like the wind to escape. Rahne's first instinct was to run as well, but X-23's arm prevented that. Rahne in a panic looked at X-23, and saw her expression was that of general indifference. Allowing herself to trust X-23, Rahne didn't try to break free though she sweated like a caged animal as the barrage from above continued for a full minute. It stopped in an instant, and Rahne heard what sounded like a rocket getting closer and closer. She looked up to see a green skinned man covered in all kinds of high tech attachments and weapons poorly concealed with a heavy cloak covering most of his body, his arms pure silver and with sharp, uneven pointy teeth. Strapped to the creature's back was a roaring jetpack that spit out a stream of flame to keep the monster aloft. The mutant cyborg touched down about twenty in front of the two girls.  
  
"Gauntlet, your aim is just getting worse and worse." X-23 stated as she placed her hands behind her head and started to lean back on the bench like she was relaxing at the beach, "I see me kicking seven shades of crap out of you didn't teach you a damn thing. But how'd you find me?"  
  
"It was easy. You're so predictably unpredictable. Everyone expects you to go east, so you go north. And I knew you'd be interested in abortion clinics. Tell me, you fix the bitch?"  
  
X-23 rubbed the bridge of her nose in annoyance at Gauntlet's lack of tact, "Rahne's decided to keep the cub, actually. Tell me, do you honestly think you'll take me down? You and what army?"  
  
"I don't need any help dealing with you. I'll flay the flesh from your body, drag the kid and her whelp back to Hydra and call it a day." Gauntlet said confidently  
  
X-23 inwardly smiled. Gauntlet had just admitted he didn't have any backup. And if Hydra knew that he'd found them, they'd have sent at least twenty fully armed agents at least. So obviously, Gauntlet was the only member of Hydra she needed to worry about. X-23 stood up and fished her wallet out of her pocket.  
  
"Rahne, I'm going to be busy for the next ten minutes. Go get something to eat, or see a movie. Don't head back to the hotel, don't touch a phone and stay in public."  
  
Rahne looked at X-23, and then at Gauntlet, "Jesse..."  
  
"You're pregnant and no offense, I doubt you're that great a fighter even if you weren't. Your codename was a flower, after all. Trust me, kiddo. You can't do anything here."  
  
"Yes, enjoy these last moments of freedom." Gauntlet hissed, "once I kill your defender, I'll take you back to Hydra so you can continue spitting out whelps for them."  
  
Rahne shot Gauntlet the most venomous look of her and his life, and slowly started walking away. Once it became apparent that Gauntlet would allow her to leave unmolested, Rahne broke into a full sprint away from the two combatants. X-23 and Gauntlet watched her leave, and then looked at one another.  
  
"She won't get far. I'll find her." Gauntlet boasted.  
  
"Oh, she's already far enough." X-23 smirked, "she's not here to see me disembowel you."  
  
"Even if you kill me, you'll never be able to stop Hydra. We'll get her and kill you."  
  
X-23 laughed loudly at the statement, "Talking like a loser already! You guys keep saying that you'll kill me," X-23 continued chuckling, "that you'll make me suffer for what I've done, that Hydra is unstoppable. But you know what? After all your efforts and traps..."  
  
X-23 stopped laughing and her face and body language became deadly serious.  
  
-Snickt!-  
  
-Snickt!-  
  
"I'm still here!"  
  
Gauntlet threw back his cloak to reveal a large, futuristic plasma rifle, "Easily remedied."  
  
X-23 crouched down, and leaped high into the air at the cyborg, her silver claws flashing in the sunlight. And then...!  
  
Next chapter: Anyone mind if I splurge? Well, too bad. Next chapter is all action with X-23 vs. Gauntlet as the two try to paint the town read in each other's blood. 


	5. Chapter 5

Notes: This fight will be bloody. This fight will be brutal. I've found with a great many fics, when they do battles are too mechanical, too scientific. Hopefully, that won't be the story here. When you read this, I want you to grimace, to cringe, to get your blood pumping.  
  
Seattle City Park  
  
X-23 crouched down, and leaped high into the air at the Hydra cyborg Gauntlet, her silver claws flashing in the sunlight. Gauntlet unleashed several shots at X-23 with his plasma rifle, however X-23 twisted expertly in midair, the energy bolts coming within a hair's breath of her body but still missing by a large margin.  
  
X-23 landed only a foot away from Gauntlet and with a backhand swipe of her claws turned the cyborg's plasma rifle into a sawed off. Gauntlet, never one to waste a weapon, swung the rifle like a baseball bat into the side of X-23's head.  
  
-Clang!-  
  
The sound was like a sledgehammer smashing into metal dumpster. X-23's head snapped to the side as her mouth spewed blood. X-23 lashed out instinctively with a kick to Gauntlet's kidney with her left leg, and as she brought her leg back, still pivoting on her right leg, she allowed herself to fall forward and slashed the two indestructible claws in her right arm across Gauntlet's chest, producing a sound like electricity crackling as she tore at his flesh.  
  
X-23 followed thru with her left claws, impaling them under and then up Gauntlet's ribs. X-23 released both her foot blades and then drove them into the cyborg's ankles. Gauntlet screamed in synthetic pain, and never saw X-23 pull her right hand back, claws extended, careening towards his exposed neck.  
  
Two seconds later, it was seemingly a non-issue for Gauntlet. X-23 retracted her claws from the headless body, and grinned.  
  
"Not even ten minutes." She smirked at the still standing body. She nudged it with her index finger, and though it wobbled back and forth, it didn't fall over.  
  
"Weirdaggghhh!" X-23 never got to finish her sentence before the headless body unexpectedly produced forty thousand volts of electricity that threw X- 23 a good ten feet away, her skin blackened and charred. X-23 watched in convulsions the body of Gauntlet mechanically strolled over to where Gauntlet's head lay, and bent down to pick the head up.  
  
"Noooo..." X-23 struggled to regain control of her body before Gauntlet's head was once again in its proper place. The residual effects of the electricity faded, her burns had healed and X-23 was on her feet only seconds after Gauntlet reattached his head, but she decided to hang back for a moment rather than attack.  
  
"As you can see little girl, I've learned some new tricks." Gauntlet smiled as he twisted his neck from side to side while his cyborg eyes refocused on X-23. X-23 watched with obvious dismay as the other wounds she'd inflicted on Gauntlet's body began sealing themselves far quicker than they should have. Obviously Gauntlet had some technological equivalent of a healing factor.  
  
"I guess I'm supposed to be impressed." X-23 deadpanned as she pressed an invisible button on her belt, and her casual white tee shirt and bleached jeans flowed and shifted, and began to change from every day clothes into dark combat leather. Within seconds X-23 was, in her opinion, properly dressed for combat.  
  
"Your nano-tech uniform is still working, I see." Gauntlet observed.  
  
"It's a neat toy. One of the only things Hydra's done right." X-23 remarked, "Besides me, that is. But we're not here to trade fashion tips. So you upgraded yourself to a healing factor. Good, means this fight won't be quite as lopsided as before."  
  
Gauntlet said nothing, merely motioning for X-23 to come forward. X-23 snarled as she charged, claws stretched outwards, reaching for Gauntlet. Gauntlet activated his jetpack, and shot into the arc, arcing behind the ground bound X-23. Gauntlet withdrew a small laser pistol and fired off four expert shots at X-23's exposed back.  
  
"Arrggh!" X-23 screamed in pain as solid energy sliced through her intestines, filling her stomach with blood. To her credit, her combat instincts never faltered. X-23 rolled forward as Gauntlet unleashed another volley and stayed one step ahead of the energy bursts while one hand clutched her stomach, keeping the exposed vital organs from moving too much while they knitted themselves back together. X-23 managed to make it to a small, wooded area and dived in. Gauntlet quickly followed on his jetpack, but stopped just short at the perimeter of the wooded area.  
  
"Running away already, are we?" Gauntlet sneered.  
  
No response.  
  
"I'll hunt you down like the animal you are. Don't think this will save you." Gauntlet growled as he ordered his jetpack into the wooded area. He entered cautiously, his cybernetic eyes scanning every energy wavelength possible searching for some trace of the mutant warrior.  
  
-Snap!-  
  
Gauntlet spun around and obliterated an old oak tree that had the misfortune of losing an aging branch at the wrong time.  
  
"Nervous?" X-23 asked, but from where Gauntlet simply couldn't tell. He said nothing in response and began looking around furiously, his fear beginning to get the better of him. He briefly wondered who was the hunter and who was the prey.  
  
Pushing that thought aside, Gauntlet steered his roaring jetpack thru the thick canopy of green branches and leaves, his acute hunter instincts on high alert. However, while maneuvering his jetpack thru the small woods, Gauntlet never once thought to look up. X-23 looked down at the green mutant from her perch on a particularly tall tree, and just shook her head in disappointment.  
  
-Snickt!-  
  
Gauntlet looked up just in time to see X-23 falling expertly downwards at him. He turned upwards to meet her, but was far too slow. X-23 plummeted down and with a slash of her claws; both of Gauntlet's cybernetic arms were removed past the joints. X-23 continued towards the ground and landed gracefully, alongside two metal limbs that once adorned Gauntlet's body.  
  
"Arrrgghh!" Gauntlet screamed as he hovered in the air with two less limbs than only minutes before. X-23 was about to vanish away again for another ambush when she saw something that startled her. Slowly but surely, the metal stumps she created were starting to grow, to lengthen into metal tissue and muscle. X-23 watched in a combination of horror and fascination as it took all of a minute for Gauntlet's cybernetic systems to regenerate the limbs she removed. Gauntlet looked at X-23 with murder in his eyes.  
  
"You know, I'm not impressed yet...but I'm getting there." X-23 remarked.  
  
Gauntlet let out a silent scream of rage and his hands began to project energy bolts wildly, devastating trees and throwing dirt into the air with huge explosions. X-23 attempted to dodge, but they were everywhere, the wooded area was now like a war zone than a park. Suddenly, she recognized the pattern. Gauntlet was laying waste to the surrounding area in an attempt to remove all her cover and leave her exposed.  
  
But before X-23 could think of shifting tactics, a thin metal noose shot out from Gauntlet's wrist and fell around her neck. Gauntlet didn't waste a moment, signaling for his jetpack to climb into the air while X-23 futilely grasped at the noose.  
  
"Now, lets go for a ride." Gauntlet proposed as he looked down at X-23, who was dangling like a fish on a hook. X-23 clutched and clawed at the wire in vain.  
  
Gauntlet soared forward like a bullet, dragging X-23's dangling through the remaining branches. The branches smacked X-23 like whips, tearing and cutting at her exposed flesh. Gauntlet laughed the entire time.  
  
"Now you suffer for the humiliation you've heaped upon me!" Gauntlet sneered as he steered his jetpack away from the park and into the city, never bothering to look down again at his victim while searching for something else to slam X-23's body into.  
  
"Time to add another one to the list." A voice, dipped in seething rage, snarled.  
  
Gauntlet looked down just in time to see X-23 drive the blades in her left hand into Gauntlet's kidneys. While he was busy contemplating ways to torture X-23, the cloned mutant warrior had used the noose around her neck as a rope to reach the cyborg mutant. Gauntlet roared in pain and never stopped as X-23 drove her other hand into his body, using her claws like spikes to climb Gauntlet's body. His cybernetic healing factor sealed the wounds quickly, but did nothing for the pain.  
  
X-23 could care less as she scaled the distance between her and Gauntlet's head. The two combatants streaked over the city of Seattle like an out of control bottle rocket, drawing gawks and stares from the people below. X- 23, of course, couldn't be concerned about all this. It took all her strength just to keep her claws angled inside of Gauntlet just right to keep from falling to the ground, far, far below. The wind whipped her hair about and she struggled to keep her eyes open and ready for any chance to turn this fight to her advantage.  
  
After about twenty seconds of careening thru the air wildly, avoiding buildings by pure luck alone, X-23 got her chance. Gauntlet, his mind a red haze of pain, flipped so that his back was towards the ground. With amazing skill, X-23 sheathed the blades in her left hand, and using her single free hand, pulled the metal noose that'd been wrapped around her neck loose and with the snap of her wrist, lassoed the noose around Gauntlet's neck.  
  
"Yippee ki yay!" X-23 shouted as she pushed herself forward and over Gauntlet's head. Suddenly the burning, stabbing pain in his chest disappeared and was replaced a metal wire pulling at his throat and two feet slamming into his back at the edges of the jetpack.  
  
"Ride 'em cowgirl!" X-23 exclaimed as she used the metal noose around Gauntlet's neck like a horseback rider might use the reigns on a horse.  
  
"I'll...gack! Kill you for this!" Gauntlet gasped as he aimed himself at a nearby apartment window. X-23 saw this, and began pulling back on the noose while shifting her weight backwards. The end result was Gauntlet began climbing into the air long before he reached the window, and was flying almost parallel to the building by the time he reached it. Almost.  
  
"Arrrggghhh!" Gauntlet screamed in mind numbing pain as his chest was sheared against the side of the stone building, fat orange sparks flying about as a result of the friction. While it lasted all of a minute in reality, Gauntlet felt like he'd suffered an eternity of pain. He arced his jetpack up high in the sky heedless of the noose around his neck and electrified his entire body.  
  
It was now X-23's turn to experience pain, but she gritted her teeth and endured it far better than Gauntlet, especially considering her metal skeleton made the electricity all the worse. With an amazing amount of willpower, X-23 unsheathed the blade in her right foot and drove it into Gauntlet's shoulder blade.  
  
-Thoom!-  
  
What X-23 didn't count on was the massive explosion that resulted from grounding herself in Gauntlet. She was thrown from Gauntlet's back, and down to the ground far, far below with nothing but the ground to break her fall.  
  
Gauntlet, surprisingly, wasn't the least bit concerned X-23's fate at the moment. He pulled the noose she'd been using to steer him and ran a scan of his internal systems to establish the damage done.  
  
-Auto-repair=50% functional  
  
-Jetpack=20% of fuel remaining  
  
-Weapons systems=systems at 40% efficiency  
  
Gauntlet scrolled thru more than two dozen systems and sub systems, examining each and getting the same answer. There wasn't a single system that wasn't heavily damaged and some were even offline.  
  
"She was trying to wear me down, and she nearly succeeded!" Gauntlet scowled to himself. Then he realized something. He looked at his hands and noticed how they were trembling as if in the throes of a seizure.  
  
"D...da...damn these damaged systems!" Gauntlet cursed unconvincingly. Now determined more than ever to kill X-23, he activated his memory tracking systems to see where X-23 had fallen. A sick smile came across his face as he read the information. The fall of twelve stories plus likely killed her, but Gauntlet wouldn't be satisfied until he saw her cooling corpse from himself.  
  
He lowered his jetpack into an alley where he'd determined X-23 had fallen and looked around. Next to a large rolling dumpster were several garbage bags that looked like they'd exploded from the inside out. No doubt X-23 had landed on them in her fall.  
  
"How fitting. Filth dies in filth." Gauntlet smirked as he began sifting thru the trash. It only took him moments to get to the bottom and only a second later to realize that, despite his fondest wishes...there was no body.  
  
"You're gonna suffer for this." Gauntlet looked to his side just in time to see the rolling dumpster slam into him and kept on going. X-23 slammed Gauntlet and the dumpster into the end of the alley with all her remaining strength.  
  
"I'm gonna smell this crap on me for a week!" X-23 snarled as she pulled the dumpster back several feet and again slammed it into Gauntlet's torso. Despite the brave front she was putting up, X-23 was running on fumes. While she didn't (indeed, couldn't) have a single broken bone, she didn't have a single undamaged internal organ. Her liver seeped poisons into her body, each breath was like a knife to the chest and her heart has several nicks on it that would be life threatening to anyone without a healing factor. X-23 knew she would heal in time, but it wouldn't be instantly. Willpower was all she had left now.  
  
Gauntlet, steeling himself, reached out and grabbed the sides of the dumpster with his cybernetic arms, his super strong fingers making indentions in the inch thick metal dumpster. He pushed the dumpster aside like it was a made of cardboard and pointed his hands at X-23 like they were weapons, which indeed they were.  
  
"Oh hell." X-23 began flipping backwards with grace that would put an Olympic athlete to shame. Small blades the size of quarters shot out of Gauntlet's wrist and at the young cloned warrior. Some missed, but most scored bone and tore at her soft tissue. X-23, her endurance spent, tripped and fell roughly twenty feet away from Gauntlet, the madman still continuing his onslaught of flying blades. X-23 kept her face and eyes guarded as the blades continued to tear into her flesh and rip away bits and pieces of her skin. Her lower body was awash in blood but she kept on fighting.  
  
To Gauntlet, there was never a more beautiful sight. But he still wanted to finish this fight up close and personal. He activated his jetpack and flew forward like an arrow. His fists slammed into X-23's midsection, driving the air from her lungs and he arced his jetpack upwards. Before X-23 could react, he shot back down to the ground, landing in the middle of the street with X-23 on the bottom with enough force to shake the entire block.  
  
Car wheels squealed, men stopped and stared while others fled at the site as X-23 laid on the ground prone, while Gauntlet stood up on unsteady legs.  
  
"Hey, leave that girl alone you freak!" One bystander yelled. Gauntlet aimed his wrist at the man, and a split second later there was one less innocent bystander.  
  
Gauntlet reached down and grabbed X-23 by the air. Pulling her painfully up to eye level, he just glared at her with pure hatred. X-23's blackened, swollen eyes fluttered as she struggled to remain conscious.  
  
"Enjoy hell." Gauntlet spat. He then slammed X-23's face into the pavement with all his strength. Blood splattered outwards like he'd just dropped a brick on a blood-engorged tick.  
  
And Gauntlet drew her head back by the hair, and did it again. And again. And again. Gauntlet let loose all the pent up fear, loathing and hatred he had towards this cloned thing that dared humiliate him so many, many times. By the time he was done X-23's hair was matted with blood and there was a pot hole in the pavement where her face had met the ground. Gauntlet let her head drop and turned towards the crowd that had gathered and watched in horror.  
  
"You have just borne witness to the victory of the greatest Hydra warrior ever!" He crowed. Gauntlet was in ecstasy, his seeming victory overriding what little common sense he had. He threw his arms like he was a victorious wrestler in a ring and smiled stupidly at his captive audience. There were no cheers, but in Gauntlet's mind, there were. These people were silently revering him for his success and worshipping his hunter's skill.  
  
And then, all of a sudden, there were cheers. Men and women whistling and whooping, and clapping their hands in respect and relief. Gauntlet pumped his fists into the air at this seeming turn of events, before quickly realizing something. None of these men and women who were celebrating, were even looking at him.  
  
Gauntlet spun around to face the now standing X-23 and was facing her just in time to see her slash outwards with both her claws and remove his legs past the knees.  
  
"Why won't you die?!" Gauntlet demanded as fear suddenly gripped his heart.  
  
"Too damn many things to do, is all." X-23 bent down and grabbed a grenade from Gauntlet's belt. Her face caked in blood, swollen and covered in still healing lacerations, X-23 smiled at Gauntlet. It was an ugly, terrifying smile that Gauntlet knew would be the last thing he saw in this world, "and I'm about to have one less thing to do."  
  
X-23 slashed her right claws across Gauntlet's lower torso, opening a wound that extended to Gauntlet's stomach. Pulling the pin of her stolen grenade out with her teeth, she then plunged it into Gauntlet's gullet, which was quickly healing. X-23 slammed her fist into Gauntlet's wrist controller, thus damaging it and causing his jetpack roared to life. Gauntlet flew straight up into the sky like an oversized bottle rocket.  
  
"Nooooooooooo!" Gauntlet clawed at his healed stomach furiously, and ultimately, in vain.  
  
X-23 watched the explosions high in the air with a satisfied smile. The first one was fairly small, that of the grenade detonating. The second explosion, the result of Gauntlet's jetpack fuel exploding, was much bigger but not so much so that it threatened any nearby buildings. The explosions were not only satisfying, but they were reassuring in so much as X-23 knew now she had one less Hydra operative to worry about.  
  
Gauntlet now defeated, X-23 fell to one knee and clutched her waist. Her insides burned painfully, but she knew she'd heal in time. People began to rush forward in concern.  
  
"Are you alright? What the hell was that thing?" One man asked.  
  
"If you never find out, consider yourself lucky."  
  
"Do need any help? My God, how'd you survive that?!" One woman asked  
  
X-23 stood up and stretched her joints, "Grit, but there is something I need."  
  
X-23 grabbed one of the concerned onlooker's bottled water and pored it over her head, washing away all the blood that was caked on her face. Burning ashes began to fall from the sky like obscene snow.  
  
"Man, some people just need to know when you quit when they're behind." X- 23 tossed the water bottle away over her shoulder and began sprinting away from the scene. No one dared follow her. She needed a bath, to find Rahne and get the hell out of dodge, in that order.  
  
***  
  
Rahne nursed the ginger-ale she'd bought while every now and then sparing a glance at the clock. Rahne had chosen to 'hide' in a busy bookstore that also served coffee (why they did this Rahne had no idea. Insane Americans, no doubt), while waiting for Jesse to return. To say she was anxious was an understatement. How would Jesse find her? How was she so certain they only had to worry about Gauntlet? What would she do if Jesse didn't return?  
  
Matters were only complicated by the fact there was a payphone some twenty feet where Rahne was sitting. It looked more tempting than the sweetest fruit, but Rahne was still heedful of Jesse's words before.  
  
"Sorry kid, not yet."  
  
Rahne shot up and spun around, more relieved than words could describe at hearing Jesse's voice. Rahne embraced the girl in a relieved hug.  
  
"Jesse, yuir alright! But how'd ye find me?"  
  
"Knock it off, you're embarrassing me." X-23 gently pushed Rahne back, "gimme my wallet."  
  
Rahne handed the wallet back to X-23, and she pulled out the oddest credit card Rahne had ever seen. It was all green with a blinking red light.  
  
"This thing here is a tracking devise. Now, lets scram kid. Hydra will figure out Gauntlet was here and put two and two together fast enough. The car's packed and waiting outside."  
  
"What...what happened tae Gauntlet?" Rahne asked hesitantly, not sure she wanted to know the answer.  
  
X-23 looked at Rahne and with a completely straight face, said, "Heartburn."  
  
Next chapter: We check up with the institute, see what's happening with Moira and Rahne makes a phone call! 


End file.
